If you've ever played PUBG, you're bound to be familiar with the phrase 'Winner Winner Chicken Dinner' flashing across your screen. For those of you who haven't been fortunate enough to witness what we're talking about -- you know, because you haven't reached that stage yet -- 'Winner Winner Chicken Dinner' in PUBG essentially signifies that a player or a squad has won a round of the popular Battle Royale game. However, if you have seen it, have you ever wondered what it actually means? While you may have only just come across due to the hours you've invested on PUBG, and may even assume it to be exclusive to the game, the origin of the phrase, in fact, dates back to nearly a century ago.

What does 'Winner Winner Chicken Dinner' really mean?

'Winner Winner Chicken Dinner' first made an appearance during the Great Depression. October 29, 1929, also often referred to as Black Tuesday, was the day that the U.S. stock market crashed that lead to a long recession called the Big Depression or the Great Depression. The time of financial crisis began in that year and the crash sent the American economy into a downward spiral. There was a shortage of jobs, low salaries and severe budget cuts.

In order to make some money, people would indulge in games of alley craps (also known as street craps). An easy gambling game, all it takes to play is a pair of dice. It is a relative of the casino game craps, only simpler and faster. In this game, players bet on the likelihood of one player (the shooter) rolling a particular number on two dice. The shooter continues until they manage to roll a perfect seven on both the dice. The player who bet correctly would win enough to be able to afford an actual chicken dinner at a time of great poverty.

Alternate theories on the origin of 'Winner Winner Chicken Dinner'

On the other hand, some people believe that the expression 'Winner Winner Chicken Dinner' originated in Las Vegas, Nevada and then moved on to be associated during the time of the Great Depression. Back in those days, in Vegas, a chicken dinner only cost about $2 in all casinos. And that was also the amount people often gambled with. So, winners could treat themselves to a chicken dinner at one of the casinos they regularly gambled at, in town. Either way, the origins of the phrase were still connected to gambling before the popular mobile game, PUBG, resurrected it as a declaration of victory.